Panjiayuan Antique Market

Panjiayuan started in the 1980s as an informal ground where traders spread goods on the earth and grew into the largest market of its kind in China, with several thousand stalls at weekends selling porcelain, jade, furniture, Cultural Revolution memorabilia, calligraphy, brushes, beads, Buddhist statuary, Tibetan and Central Asian goods, and a great deal that is not what it claims to be. Serious dealers arrive at dawn on Saturday. For most visitors it works as a place to browse and buy inexpensive reproductions, seals, scrolls and gifts, with bargaining expected and opening prices set far above what anything sells for.

History

The market began informally in the early 1980s as an early-morning "ghost market" and was officially set up in 1992, overtaking the old shops of Liulichang in popularity. It grew into Beijing's largest flea market and one of the largest in China, was rebuilt in the mid-2000s ahead of the 2008 Olympics, and many Chinese collectors say they began here (Wikipedia, Panjiayuan antique market).

The main sights

• The weekend stalls - thousands of traders across the open market ground.
• The range - porcelain, jade, furniture, calligraphy, memorabilia and curios.
• The dawn trade - dealers working the market at first light on Saturdays.
• The bargaining - haggling as the normal way of doing business.

When to go

Weekends, especially Saturday morning, when the market is at full size; weekdays have a smaller permanent section only. Year-round, though the open ground is exposed to Beijing's summer heat and winter cold.

Before you go

Most goods sold as antiques are reproductions, and genuine old pieces are hard to identify and legally restricted for export. Opening prices to foreign buyers can be many times the realistic figure. Bargaining is expected and not optional.

Nearby

The Temple of Heaven lies west; central Beijing is northwest.

Key facts